Climate Denial Based on Projection of Venal Motives

It never made sense to me that climate deniers considered it plausible that thousands of scientists worldwide falsified data for personal gain. Now I get it. It's like thieves "knowing" that "everybody steals".

... but denying science while attacking scientists as politically motivated and venal is standard operating procedure on the American right.

... Almost every senior figure in the Trump administration dealing with the environment or energy is both an establishment Republican and a denier of climate change and of scientific evidence in general.

And almost all climate change denial involves Limbaugh-type conspiracy theorizing.

There is, after all, an overwhelming scientific consensus that human activities are warming the planet. When conservative politicians and pundits challenge that consensus, they do so not on the basis of careful consideration of the evidence — come on, who are we kidding? — but by impugning the motives of thousands of scientists around the world. All of these scientists, they insist, motivated by peer pressure and financial rewards, are falsifying data and suppressing contrary views.

Why are U.S. conservatives so willing to disbelieve science and buy into tinfoil-hat conspiracy theories about scientists? Part of the answer is that they’re engaged in projection: That’s the way things work in their world.

..., it makes sense to them partly because that’s what their friends do. [emphasis mine]